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A review by elle_reads
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
3.0
Instagram @elle_reads
BOOK REVIEW
[The Nickel Boys] Young boys try to survive an abusive juvie school.
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WHAT I LIKED
Colson Whitehead does an amazing job integrating the historical events / thinking into his character’s mentality. Elwood’s fascination to MLK Jr and his grandmother’s conflicting relation to the movement humanized their difficulties and brought a complexity to each introduced character. It unveiled a discussion of morality even before the dreaded doors of Nickel are opened.
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Inside Nickel, Whitehead artfully minded the difficult events he described without lessening the punch. Even though this is a work of historical fiction, I didn’t see him sensationalize the terrible events these students experienced.
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WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
I felt held at an arm’s length for a majority of the book. It was hazy. I wanted more grit in the everyday actions of the students. I learned of the different boys jobs, but there was little detail of them truly living it. I learned of the buggy bedding, but I after the first mention the constant itching wasn’t mentioned. It took away from the reality of the situation.
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The Nickel Boys (by Colson Whitehead) ⚡️⚡️⚡️3/5
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BOOK REVIEW
[The Nickel Boys] Young boys try to survive an abusive juvie school.
//
WHAT I LIKED
Colson Whitehead does an amazing job integrating the historical events / thinking into his character’s mentality. Elwood’s fascination to MLK Jr and his grandmother’s conflicting relation to the movement humanized their difficulties and brought a complexity to each introduced character. It unveiled a discussion of morality even before the dreaded doors of Nickel are opened.
//
Inside Nickel, Whitehead artfully minded the difficult events he described without lessening the punch. Even though this is a work of historical fiction, I didn’t see him sensationalize the terrible events these students experienced.
//
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
I felt held at an arm’s length for a majority of the book. It was hazy. I wanted more grit in the everyday actions of the students. I learned of the different boys jobs, but there was little detail of them truly living it. I learned of the buggy bedding, but I after the first mention the constant itching wasn’t mentioned. It took away from the reality of the situation.
//
The Nickel Boys (by Colson Whitehead) ⚡️⚡️⚡️3/5
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